Aitareyabrahmana 3.2

3.2

annādyaṃ vā etenāvarunddhe yat praügām.
anyānyā devatā praüge śasyate, 'nyad-anyad uktham praüge kriyate
'nyad-anyad asyānnādyaṃ graheṣu dhriyate ya evaṃ vedai/tad
dha vai yajamānasyādhyātmatamam ivokthaṃ yat praügaṃ.
tasmād enainaitad upekṣyatamam ivety āhur,
etena hy enaṃ hotā saṃskarotīti
vāyavyaṃ śaṃsāti. tasmād āhur.
Vāyuḥ prāṇaḥ prāṇo reto,
retaḥ puruṣasya prathamaṃ sambhavataḥ sambhavatīti.
yad vāyavyaṃ śaṃsati, prāṇam evāsya tat saṃskaroty
aindravāyavaṃ śaṃsati. yatra vāva prāṇas tad apāno.
yad aindravāyavaṃ śaṃsāti, prāṇāpānāv evāsya tat saṃskaroti
maitrāvaruṇaṃ śaṃsāti. tasmād āhuś:
cakṣuḥ puruṣasya prathamaṃ sambhavataḥ sambhavatīti.
yan maitrāvaruṇaṃ śaṃsati, cakṣur evāsya tat saṃskaroty
āśvinaṃ śaṃsati. tasmāt kumāraṃ jātaṃ saṃvadanta:
upa vai śuśrūṣate, ni vai dhyāyatīti.
yad āśvinaṃ śaṃsati, śrotrām evāsya tat saṃskaroty
aindraṃ śaṃsati. tasmāt kumāraṃ jātaṃ saṃvadante:
pratidhārayati vai grīvā atho śira iti.
yad aindraṃ śaṃsati, vīryam evāsya tat saṃskaroti
vaiśvadevaṃ śaṃsati.
tasmāt kumāro jātaḥ paśceva pracarati, vaiśvadevāni hy aṅgāni.
yad vaiśvadevaṃ śaṃsaty, aṅgāny evāsya tat saṃskaroti
sārasvataṃ śaṃsati.
tasmāt kumāraṃ jātaṃ jaghanyā vāg āviśati, vāg ghi Sarasvatī.
yat sārasvataṃ śaṃsati, vācam evāsya tat saṃskaroty
eṣa vai jāto jāyate sarvābhya etābhyo devatābhyaḥ sarvebhya ukthebhyaḥ
sarvebhyaś chandobhyaḥ sarvebhyaḥ praügebhyaḥ
sarvebhyaḥ savanebhyo ya evaṃ veda yasya caivaṃ viduṣa etac chaṃsanti

iii. 2 (xi. 2). By the Praüga he wins proper food; now various deities are celebrated in the Praüga, different litanies are performed in the Praüga, different kinds of food are placed in the cups of him who knows thus. Now the Praüga is the most related to the self of the litanies for the sacrificer as it were; ‘therefore it is most to be perfected as it were by him, they say, ‘for by it the Hotṛ makes him perfect.’ (A triplet ) to Vāyu he recites; therefore they say ‘The breath is Vāyu, seed is the

breath; seed comes into existence first when man comes into existence.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to Viṣṇu, verily thus he makes his breath perfect. (A triplet) to Indra and Vāyu he recites; where there is expiration, there is inspiration; in that he recites (a triplet) to Indra and Vāyu, verily thus his expiration and inspiration he makes perfect. (A triplet) to Mitra and Varuṇa he recites; therefore they say ‘The eye comes into existence first when man comes into existence.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to Mitra and Varuṇa, verily thus he makes his eye perfect. (A triplet) to the Açvins he recites; therefore they talk of a child born ‘He is trying to listen; he is taking notice.’ In that he recites (a triplet) to the Açvins, verily thus he makes his ear perfect. (A triplet) to Indra he recites; therefore they talk of a child born, ‘He is holding erect his neck, and also his head’; in that he recites (a triplet) to Indra, verily thus he makes his strength perfect. (A triplet) to the All-gods he recites; therefore a child born crawls on all fours, for the limbs are connected with the All-gods; in that he recites (a triplet) to the All-gods, verily thus he makes his limbs perfect. He recites (a triplet) to Sarasvatī; therefore to a child born speech comes last, for Sarasvatī is speech; in that he recites (a triplet) to Sarasvatī, verily thus he makes his speech perfect. He being born is born from all these deities, from all the litanies, from all metres, from all Praügas, from all pressings, who knows thus and for whom knowing thus they recite thus.